11 years after her first concert in the capital, at La Maroquinerie, the incredible violinist Lindsey Stirling was back this Friday, October 25, 2024 at the packed Zenith de Paris. On the occasion of her "Duality Tour", the American artist thrilled fans with her electric violin and dance steps, from her first track"Shatter me" to one of her latest"Inner Gold".
As usual, the performer didn't do things by halves, showing herself to be particularly impressive on stage, capable of playing her instrument in the air or performing complex choreographies, while interpreting her songs filled with magic and emotion, in styles ranging from classical to electro.
But before attending this long-awaited visual and musical show, the audience had the opportunity to hear Nya, a young Puerto Rican singer with a pop sound we didn't know, in the first part. The singer-songwriter treated the audience to her songs"Beauty comes from pain","The Pro" and"Jaded", a lovely discovery thanks to a beautiful, smooth voice, but with sounds perhaps a little too similar to those of her colleagues.
Quite the opposite of Lindsey, a one-of-a-kind performer who has built her career on her exceptional combination of dance and violin, as well as her gentle, poetic universe. We had to wait another twenty minutes or so for her to arrive, but as soon as the curtain went up, we quickly understood the delay, the stage being totally transformed as if for a musical. The young woman appeared to perform"Eye of the untold her", in front of a curtain featuring shadow puppets, interacting with her dancers at the back.
A highly successful and visual introduction that quickly gets us into the swing of things and sets the tone for the rest of the concert, which is sure to be just as lively! Lindsey Stirling then follows up with"The Arena" and"Underground", in which she demonstrates her mastery of classical dance, in twirling choreographies. For"Firefy alley", an aerial performance in which the dancers play with the fabric, the violinist impresses us with a completely fluid grand écart, all the while playing perfectly, of course.
Then comes"Roundtable Rival", one of her best-known songs, for which the set design takes up the idea of a Western-style music video, with a veritable battle between her and her guitarist, to the delight of the audience, who literally burst into flames! A hyper-energetic performance that demonstrates the full power of her electrifying music, with her violin changing color to match the vibe.
The Egyptian-sounding"Evil Twin" follows without delay, where the singer's voice can be heard straining, adding a mystical edge to the performance. She begins the song suspended a few meters above the ground, for a breathtaking aerial fabric number, during which she continues to play the violin, for a timeless moment. After the more common"Elements", we enjoy a calm, gentle passage with"Serenity found".
The auditorium pauses to watch the literally magical spectacle unfolding before us. One of the dancers, suspended in the air in an angelic costume, drops sequins on the violinist, who delivers a magnificent moment of eternity. This deserves theincredible standing ovation that followed and left the Paris Zénith shaking. The perfect lighting and color changes are a marvelous accompaniment to the atmosphere of the sounds.
In a calmer tempo, the virtuoso recounts her feelings and a period in her life when she felt very anxious, a feeling that improved thanks to meditation. She invites us to join her in breathing exercises, in a bluish light, making the audience hilarious as they willingly try them out. Many interactions that allow us to feel closer to the violinist, who confides to us that she adores the capital, the French public having been one of the first to let her know that her music was appreciated at the start of her career.
In keeping with this idea of a calmer cut, she performs"Between Twilight" and asks us to close our eyes to experience the music differently, in a true moment of sharing. Following on from this almost circus-like show, where the atmosphere oscillates between steamy and energetic, the artist offers us a hoop performance to start"Shatter me", the iconic track that made her famous and that has the room screaming. A rare track with lyrics, the audience goes wild, singing along to Lzzy Hale's part, with Lindsey continuing to play upside down in her hoop... Incredible!
A French voice pops in from time to time to explain the tracks to come, and introduces"Kintsugi", named after the Japanese technique of repairing what is broken. In a veritable ballet performed by sublime dancers playing with ethereal draperies, the violinist returns to the air and, at the end of the piece, unfurls immense butterfly wings to close this piece evoking transformation.
After"Crystallize", where she continues to impress us with her mastery of different talents, two particularly joyful and colorful tracks follow with"Purpose" and its Celtic sounds, and dancers disguised as little magical leprechauns. A new change of costume comes with"Untamed", with the dancers wearing a variety of pop colors and glittery animal heads.
During the latter part of the concert, the singer conveys beautiful messages of self-confidence, encouraging each and every one of us to break out of the cage imposed by society and realize ourselves despite the obstacles. For"Inner Gold", this very recent track in collaboration with Royal & the Serpent, the outfits and energy on stage resemble the video, with rhythmic choreography and golden tones.
The artist invites us to take part in his Tiktok video, the magnificent rendering of which has taken social networks by storm. The whole Zenith played along, lighting up torches on their phones to create waves of light according to the notes of the violin. An amusing moment, given that the French are not the most reputable when it comes to English, creating a few small misunderstandings that were quickly resolved and had the audience laughing.
After"First light", in which the Zenith sings along, we move on to"Les Fées", a hyper-dynamic track inspired by France, where the dancers move wonderfully with disco balls on their heads and fluorescent colors, a little strange but all in all in keeping with the succession of extraordinary elements during the show. Finally, Lindsey Stirling performs her latest high-energy track,"Survive", composed alongside Walk Off The Earth, before which she explains that she wrote it after a break-up with her ex-boyfriend, to remind herself that nothing is ever the same.
We came away from the nearly two-hour show absolutely delighted, and very impressed by the artist's versatility, which is even more insane live! Lindsey Stirling's ability to make this sublime instrument accessible, accompanied by her guitarist and a drummer, is a far cry from the classical style that could bore the least violin-lovers in the long run, with sounds ranging from pop to rock to electro, depending on the track. Very close to her audience, some of whom have been following her for a long time (she recognized some of her early fans in the pit), she delivered a concert that was more than sporting, and full of emotion.
Location
Paris Zenith
211 Avenue Jean Jaurès
75019 Paris 19
Access
M° Porte de Pantin
